How to create a quality Pawshake profile

Pet owners are looking for reliable, available sitters to take care of their precious pets. Nothing is more important than finding the perfect sitter, who truly connects with and loves their pets as their own.

When a pet owner starts looking for a pet sitter, they really want to find out who the pet sitter is. After all, they wouldn't give their pet to just anyone. That's why it's really important to cover certain information in your public profile. Specifics can later be discussed via Pawshake messages.

Remember - you can't please everyone, and that's okay. There's a perfect sitter for every pet or situation, and that's why you should be honest about what your preferences and abilities are. Think about what kind of pets you want to take care of. This will help you determine which pets you can do a great job for as a sitter.

When you're ready - just log in to edit your profile via the link below!

Let's start with the basics:

Profile picture

Your profile picture is one of the first things that an owner sees via a search on Pawshake, so making a great first impression is naturally important.

Tip: Think - would a pet owner easily recognise me when meeting in person for the first time?

Make sure both of your eyes and face are fully visible in the profile picture

Don't choose a picture where you have sunglasses on

Don't add any stickers, filters or effects

Best pictures are colourful and include a smile :)

Your pet can accompany you, just make sure you are the focus and that your pet isn't covering your face

Profile description

This is your chance to shine. Why should a pet owner choose you? What kind of pets do you take care of? Tell owners what you're like and what your preferences are.

Write about yourself in detail - who are you?

Basic biographical details - age, occupation etc.

What motivates you as a pet sitter?

What kind of experience do you have in pet sitting? Have you gained pet care experience previously, such as volunteer work, courses or training? Have you had pets of your own in the past?

What services do you offer, and specifically, what is included in them? How long are your walks, home visits etc?

If you offer home boarding or daycare

Who else lives with you? Are they going to be involved in caring for the guest pet?

Do you have your own resident pet/s?

What is your home like? Do you have a backyard? Is it fully fenced? Are your gates safe and secured?

When are you available and are there specific times when you're not available?

Remember - clearly structured text, with paragraphs and/or words marked in bold or in italics makes the description enjoyable to read. And don't forget to use a spell-checker before submitting!

Profile gallery

A great gallery supports what you've just written in your description. Aim to choose pictures that complete your story - remember; you can always add more later.

Make sure all the pictures you choose are high quality - with good resolution, lighting and size.

Pet owners love to see you - add pictures on which you are interacting with different pets in various situations, for example:

Playing with pets

Training pets

On a walk at a nearby beach/forest/park

If you're offering home boarding or daycare

Take pictures of the places where the guest pets might spend their time

Do you have a backyard? It's good to include photographs of that, too

What's the area around your home like? Pet owners want to see that the neighbourhood is safe, so it's a good idea to add a few pics of nearby parks etc.

What not to include in your profile

It's equally important to remember what not to include in your public profile. We're looking out for your safety at every twist and turn, but so should you. For safety reasons, you should never include sensitive personal information in your public profile, such as:

When an owner contacts you, you can then share relevant personal information in the safety of a private conversation. You can freely decide when you share your details with them, if at all. We respect your privacy.